Inevitably, a wild boar was diagnosed with African swine fever (ASF) in the State of Brandenburg adjacent to the border with Poland. Previously, Germany upgraded border fencing to prevent entry of free-roaming boars from Poland.
The diagnosis was confirmed by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (analogous to the USDA National Veterinary Service Laboratory in Ames, IA).
African swine fever is now endemic in China, Vietnam, and adjacent southeast Asian nations. The disease also occurs with intermittent frequency in the Russian Federation and nations of Eastern Europe as reported to the World Organization for Animal Health. Prevention of the infection in commercial farms relies on biosecurity since there is no available vaccine.
Predictably the report to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) has precipitated a number of embargos on pork exports from Germany. This is unjustified since the diagnosis was on a single animal straying from Poland and is not representative of the commercial industry in Germany. In any event importing nations should recognize the OIE principle of regionalization and restrict bans to States or the equivalent of counties subject to astructured program of surveillance.